New York Fisherman Sets Record With Unbelievable Catch

This isn't just a story from a fisherman about an enormous fish. He's got pictures and all the receipts to prove that he caught the biggest New York has ever seen.

You always seem to hear stories from people who love to fish about the size of the fish they caught. Then every time the story gets told, the fish seems to get bigger and bigger. But in Ben Ferguson's case, he's got all the documentation to show that the biggest Brook Trout ever caught in New York State was reeled in by him.

Here's how they caught it

According to NewYorkUpstate.com, Ferguson was out with his friend Shawn Widrick in the Adirondacks. They were paddling around a pond with some rods baited with a Lake Clear Wabbler spoon and a nightcrawler lead behind it. That's when he heard the rod holder rattling and knew he had one on the line.

He ended up battling this fish for over five minutes as it weaved back and forth under the boat before bringing it in.

“I got my net ready and I saw the fish come up and roll right next to the boat,” Ferguson said. “And when I saw it, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this thing is huge! Is it even gonna fit in my net!?'" - Ben Ferguson to New York Upstate

Now, how do they prove they have a record?

The two anglers said they were fishing around the St. Regis Canoe Area (but, like any good fisherman, wouldn't reveal the exact spot). To prove that a fish is a record size, you need to get it to a certified scale. That proved to be a challenge because it was already evening. By the time they got back to civilization from where they were, most places would be closed. So they needed to create a makeshift place to keep it until morning. Luckily, their canoe did the trick. They filled it with some water and let the fish live in there.

How big was the fish?

The next morning, they were able to make it to a butcher shop that measured the fish at 22 inches and 6 pounds, 3 ounces. It was just 3 ounces more than the previous record of 6 pounds.

To see more on the story and to see pictures of the fish, click here.